Đe Koncis Folksprâkgrammatik · 2013. 2. 11. · Đe Koncis Folksprâkgrammatik The Concise Folksprâk Grammar Hi is en gôd singer. = He is a good singer. Si stiur đe taxi. =

Đe Koncis Folksprâkgrammatikav David Parke

The Concise Folksprâk Grammarby David Parke

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Đe Koncis Folksprâkgrammatik The Concise Folksprâk Grammar

© David Parke 2006

ŦankeHertlik ond ernst ŧanke tô đe majde on’

kerle ond anđer midliđe av đe Folkspraak Yahoo grupp. Ŧank jiu for jiur wîs râdings

on’ kritike. Ŧank jiu for đe oft helpe ond assisterings on’ œk for đe selden krenkings.

ThanksHeartfelt and sincere thanks to the gals

and guys and other members of the Folkspraak Yahoo group. Thank you for your wise advise and criticism. Thank

you for your frequent help and assistance and for the occasional insult too.

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Av David Parke By David Parke

ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Indefinite Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Definite Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Personal Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Demonstrative Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Interrogative Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Relative Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Other Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Plural of Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Genitive Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Adjectives.and.Adverbs. . . . . . . . . 6Comparative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Superlative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Comparing Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Irregular Adjectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Intensive Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Verbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Present Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Present Participle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Past Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Perfect Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Past Perfect Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Future Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Imperative Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Passive Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Subjunctive Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Irregular Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Table of Folksprâk Irregular Verbs . . . . . . . . . 12

Strong Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Table of Folksprâk Strong Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Prepositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Conjunctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Syntax.and.Word.Order . . . . . . . . . 17The V2 Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Position of Infinitives and Participles . . . . . . 18

Position of Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Word Order of Subordinate Clauses . . . . . . . 18

Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Telling the Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Adverbs of Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Days of the Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Seasons of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Writing Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Cardinal Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Ordinal Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Fractional Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Prefixes.and.Suffixes. . . . . . . . . . . . 22Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Suffixes Creating Adjectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Suffixes Creating Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bibliography/Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Introduction[Scen: Arthur on’ Patsy rîde ŧurj grôen ackers. Bûers arbêde in đe ackers. En slott ligg up en nâj hyll. Arthur on’ Patsy rîde after en wagensleppend bûer.]Arthur: Ald frû!Bûer: Mann!Arthur . Mann . Ontschulding . Wilk ridder won in

đat slott?Bûer: Ik is ŧritig-seven .Arthur: Wat?Bûer: Ik is 37 . Ik is nejt ald .Arthur: Ik kann nejt name đi blœt “mann” .Bûer: Đu kund segge “Dennis” .Arthur: Ik wist nejt đat đu hêted Dennis .Dennis: Lûw frâgd đu nejt .Arthur: Ik ha ontschulded mi for đe “ald frû’, đœch

đu saj ût tôrygg . . .Dennis: Wârfor klag ik, is đat đu behandel mi als

minderwerđig .Arthur: Đœch ik is koning .Dennis: Koning? So hêrrlik! Hu werđed đu đat?

Ŧurj đe ûtnytting av đe arbêders! Ŧurj feralded imperialistisch dogma halde đie standhald đe œkonomisch on’ social unrechtferdigheid in user millieu! In fall schall đâr ferbettere . . .

[Ein bûerwîv arbêd nâj] Bûerwîv Terry: Dennis, đâr is hêrrlik schît her . [Si sej

Arthur] Ach . [achtingsful] Gôd Dag .Arthur: Gôd dag, gôd frû . Ik is Arthur, koning av

đe Britone . Av wê slott is đat?Terry: Koning av wê?Arthur: Đe Britone .Terry: Wê âre đe Britone?Arthur: Wi âre all . Wi âre all Britone . Ond ik is jiur

koning .Terry: Ik wist đat wi hadde nên koning . Ik ŧenkd

đat wi wâre ên selvstiurend kollektiv .Dennis: Đu bedrieg đi . Wi wone in en diktatur .

En selvbewarend autokrati wârin đe arbêderklasse . . .

Terry . Đâr gâ đu, alltîd om đe klasskamp .Dennis . Đat is ett alltîd om, blœt in fall hœre folk

mi . . .Arthur: Bidd, gôd folk . Ik îl . Wê won in đat slott?Terry: Nên won đâr .Arthur: Wê is jiur hêrr đann?Terry: Wi have nên hêrr .Arthur: Wat!?Dennis: Ik seggd tô đi allrêd . Wi âre en arnarcho-

syndikalistisch kommun . Wi have êlk tîddêle tô dôe als en lêder for đe wek . . .

Arthur . [unŧuldig] Ja .Dennis: . . .đœch all beslûtings av đat lêder môte

wese ratiferd bî en speciâl twê-weker kongress . . .

Arthur: [unŧuldig on’ wrêđig] Ik ferstâ! Dennis: . . .ŧurj en simpel majoritât bî intern sake . . .Arthur: Wes still!Dennis: . . .đœch en twê-ŧriđel-dêl majoritât bî sake

av . . .Arthur: Wes still! Ik drag up đi tô wese still .Terry: “Updrage?” Wê ŧenk hi đat is hi?Arthur: Ik is jiur koning!Terry: Ik ha nejt stemmd up đi .Arthur . Ji stemme nejt up konings .Terry: Hu ha đu werđed koning?Arthur: Đe Frûw av đe Mer, hir arm klêđed in

đe purest schînend sîđ, hield up hœch Excalibur ût đe bôsem av đe water, đat beŧiuded đat schuld ik, Arthur, bere Excalibur, ŧurj himmelisch forûtsejing . Đârfor is ik jiur koning!

Dennis: Hœr her! Fremđ wîve, đie ligge in pôle, đie ûtdêle swerde, is nên bas for en regeringssystem . Đe hœchest fullmacht komm ût en mandat av de masse, nejt fran en absurd waterceremoni

Arthur: Wes still!Dennis: Đu kann nejt ôeve hœchest fullmacht,

forđat ha en waterig majd smitten en swerd tô đi .

Arthur: Hald đîn munđ!Dennis: In fall seggd ik rond đat was ik kêser,

forđat hadd en fuchtig hôr slingd en sabel tô mi, schulde đê smîte mi in en asyl . . .

Arthur: Will đu halde munđ?! [Arthur grîp đe hals av Dennis on’ bev hin heftig]Dennis: Nu merke wi đe gewald diupworteld in đe

system!Arthur: Hald munđ!Dennis: Sej đe gewald diupworteld in đe system!

Help, ik werđ underŧryckd!Arthur: Ferdamm’d bûer! [Arthur gâ weg wrêđig]Dennis: Ach hu ferrâdend! Hœrde ji đat? Ji hœrde

đat, nê? Đat is precis wat mên ik . Saje ji đat underŧryckt hi mi? Ji saje him – nejt wâr?

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ArticlesIndefinite.ArticleThe indefinite article for singular nouns is en [@n] . It is used in a very similar way to English a/an . It precedes the noun that is modifies . It is used when first mentioning a noun, that hasn’t been spoken of in conversation before . After it has been mentioned with the indefinite article, the noun becomes known and it is normally then preceded by the definite article . En does not change for gender or case but it is not used for plural nouns . For plural nouns, no article is used or you can use ênig ["eInIg], meaning some or any .

Ik fangd en dûv. = I caught a pigeon. En ŧiuv ha stolen mîn auto. = A thief has stolen my car. Ik ha eten grôen appels. = I have eaten (some) green apples. Kann đu seje ênig appels an đe bœm. = Can you see any/some apples on the tree?

Definite.ArticleThe definite article for all cases, numbers and genders is đe [d@]. It is used in a very similar way to English the, Dutch de/het and German der/die/das/den/dem/des . It precedes the noun that it modifies .

Đe dûv was ŧick. = The pigeon was fat. Đe ŧiuv stal đe auto. = The thief stole the car. Đe appels av đat bœm wâre sôet = The apples from that tree were sweet.

PronounsPersonal.PronounsThe personal pronouns all have four basic forms; a subjective form, and objective form, a possessive form and a reflexive form . This is similar to the way the English first person singular pronoun, I, becomes me and my and mine . In terms of the old Germanic cases, subjective corresponds to the nominative case, objective to the accusative and dative cases, possessive to the genitive case, and reflexive to the reflexive case . Personal pronouns change form depending on whether they are the subject or object in a sentence . There are pronoun forms for each person (first, second and third) and separate forms for singular and plural . In the third person there are separate forms for masculine, feminine and neuter nouns .

Person Subjective (Nominative)

Objective (Accusative/Dative)

Possessive (Genitive)

Reflexive English Equivalent

1st Singular ik [Ik] mi [mi:] mîn [maIn] mi [mi:] I, me, my, mine1st Plural wi [Pi:] uss [Us] usser ["Us@r] uss [Us] we, us, our, ours2nd Singular đu [du:] đi [di:] đîn [daIn] đi [di:] you, your, yours*2nd Plural ji [ji:] jiu [jIu:] jiur [jIur] jiu [jIu:] you, your, yours*3rd singular (masculine)

hi [hi:] hin [hIn] sîn [saIn] sick [sIk] he, him, his

3rd singular (feminine)

si [si:] hir [hi:r] hirer ["hi:r@r] sick [sIk] she, her, hers

3rd singular (neuter)

ett [Et] him [hIm] etts [Ets] sick [sIk] it, its

3rd plural đê [deI] đêm [deIm] đêr [de:r] sick [sIk] they, them, their, theirs

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Hi is en gôd singer. = He is a good singer. Si stiur đe taxi. = She is driving the taxi. Ik will lerne folksprâk. = I want to learn Folksprâk. Si ha kyssd hin. = She has kissed him. Wi schulle môete đêm morgen. = We shall meet them tomorrow. Đe auto is sîn. = The car is his. Đe appels âre mîn. = The apples are mine. Đies hûs is usser. = This house is ours.

*Unlike in English, there are both plural and singular forms for the second person pronoun; ji and đu. Ji should always be used when addressing more than one person . When addressing one person formally, ji should also be used . Đu is a more familiar, intimate and informal pronoun than ji . Đu should be used mostly for addressing friends, lovers, family members and young children . It’s use may be extended to colleagues and fellow students but then care should be taken to use it only informal situations . Used in the wrong situation, đu can be seen by some to be rude or excessively intimate — the verbal equivalent of invading someone’s personal space .

The possessive pronouns can also be used as an article or determiner . That is, it can precede a noun .

Ha hi môeted hirer môder? = Has he met her mother? Will đu môete mîn yvel elders? = Do you want to meet my horrible parents? Dat âre sîn rœd appels = Those are his red apples.

In English, when the object of a sentence is also the subject, one must change the object pronoun to a reflexive pronoun by using the possessive pronoun plus -self or -selves . You should say I love myself rather than I love *me . In Folksprâk, in most cases, such a change of pronoun is not necessary . Only in the third person are anything equivalent to the English -self pronouns needed . In all numbers and genders in the third person, the reflexive pronoun in Folksprâk is sick .

Ik lêre mi folksprâk. = I am teaching myself (learning) Folksprâk. Hi schall drîve sick wrêđig! = He will make himself angry!

Demonstrative.PronounsA few of the basics are:

đat [dat] = that. This can also be used as a pronoun and as a determiner/article . Ik will have đat. = I want that. Đat mann is siuk. = That man is sick. Wi klimme đat stênen treppe = We climb those stone steps. Usser hûse âre better als đat. = Our houses are better than those.

đies [di:s] = this/these. This can also be used as a pronoun and as a determiner/article . Đies âre usser hûse. = These are our houses. Đies appel is sûr = This apple is sour.

đâr [d{:r] = there

her [he:r] = here

đann [dan] = then

Interrogative.Pronounswat [Pat] = what

wâr [P{:r] = where

wann [Pan] = when

wê [PeI] = who

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hu [hu:] = how

wârfor [P{:rfOr] = why

wilk [PIlk] = which

Relative.PronounsThe relative pronoun die is in places where a relative pronoun such as who, where or that in English would be used . Si is đe frû, đie schall werđe mîn wîv. = She is the woman, who will become my wife. Đate âre đe torte, đie will ik ete. = Those are the cakes, that I want to eat. Đat is đe hund, đie proberd ût tô bîte mi. = That’s the dog, that tried to bite me! Michaels hûs is đe hûs, in đie wond ik. = Michael’s house is the house where I used to live.

Other.Pronounsêlk [eIlk] = each, every This can also be used as a pronoun and as a determiner/article .

sulk [sUlk] = such. This can also be used as a pronoun and as a determiner/article .

nejts [neIts] = nothing

nên [neIn] = none, not one, not any. This can also be used as a pronoun and as a determiner/article . Hi ha nên = He has none. Ik ha nên auto. = I have no car.

nêmann [neIman] = no one, nobody

bêđ [beId] = both. This can also be used as a pronoun and as a determiner/article . Bêđ âre gelîk = Both are alike. Ik will ete bêđ appels. = I want to eat both apples.

NounsNouns do not inflect for gender . They only inflection for case is the genitive -s suffix .

Plural.of.NounsThere are two possible ways of forming plurals of Folksprâk nouns . Both methods make the noun plural by adding a suffix to the noun, either -e or -s . The method of pluralisation is determined by the stress pattern of the noun .

Nouns that end in a stressed syllable take -e . This includes all single-syllable nouns . Most multi-syllabic romance borrowings end in a stressed syllable and use this suffix .

Ên bên[beIn], twê bêne = One leg, two legs . Ên universitât [univErsi"t{:t], twê universitâte = One university, two universities Ên student [stu"dEnt], twê studente = One student, two students Ên hund [hUnd], twê hunde = One dog, two dogs . Ên mann [man], twê manne = One man, two men . Ên station [sta"tsjo:n], twê statione = One station, two stations Ên nonn ["nOn], twê nonne = One nun, two nuns .

Nouns that take -s are multi-syllable nouns that end in an unstressed syllable . These unstressed syllables are normally a suffix where the vowel has generalised to [@] or [I]. Such unstressed syllables include -en [-@n], -el [-@l], -ing [-IN], -er [-@r],-ek [-@k], -ed [-@d], -et [-@t], -e [-@]. Words that end in an unstressed vowel also fall into this category .

Ên jungling ["jUNlIN], twê junglings = One child, two children

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Ên mêning ["meInIN], twê mênings = One opinion, two opinions Ên appel ["ap@l], twê appels = One apple, two apples Ên segel ["se:g@l], twê segels = One sail, two sails Ên asen ["A:s@n], twê asens = One donkey, two donkeys Ên têken ["teIk@n], twê têkens = One symbol, two symbols Ên brôđer ["bru:d@r], twê brôđers = One brother, two brothers Ên stiurer ["stIUr@r], twê stiurers = One pilot/driver, two pilots/drivers Ên blôsem ["blu:s@m], twê blôsems = one flower, two flowers. Ên besem ["be:s@m], twê besems = one broom, two brooms. Ên hâvek ["h{:v@k], twê hâveks = one hawk, two hawks Ên hœved ["h2:v@d], twê hœveds = one head, two heads Ên chokolade [Soko"lA:d@], twê chokolades = one chocolate, two chocolates. Ên auto ["aUto], twê autos = one car, two cars. Ên parti ["parti], twê partis = one party, two parties.

Genitive.CaseNouns can take a genitive case with the addition of the -s suffix . This suffix works in a similar way to the ’s suffix in English in phrases such as David’s computer (the computer belonging to David) or my father’s tool box (the tool box belonging to my father). In Folksprâk, the genitive suffix should be used only with proper names, not because it would be grammatically incorrect to use it elsewhere, but because it can be confused with the plural noun suffix -s . Pappis tiugkist is swâr. = Daddy’s tool box is heavy. Davids computer werk langsam. = David’s computer runs slowly. Ik residerd in Michaels hûs. = I lived in Michael’s house.

Adjectives and AdverbsAdjectives come before the noun they modify but after any articles or determiners .

En grôen appel fall fran đe hœch bœm. = A green apple is falling from the tall tree. Đe grœt mann is wrêđig. = The big man is angry.

Adjectives do not inflect for case, number of gender . The only changes to adjectives are the suffixes which are used to create the comparative and superlative forms .

ComparativeTo form a comparative of an adjective, add -er . Unlike in English, for multi-syllable words, you need not use more instead of -er to form the comparative .

Si is grœt đœch hi is grœter. = She is big, but he is bigger. Ik is alder đœch đu is œk ald= I am older but you are also old. Đe lœve av đe bœm âre grôen, on’ đe grass is grôener. = The leaves of tree are green, and the grass is greener. Aspirin is effektiv, đœch morfin is effektiver = Aspirin is effective, but morphine is more effective. Jiur kycken is nejt hygienisch, mîn toilett is hygienischer = Your kitchen is not hygienic, my toilet is more hygienic.

SuperlativeTo form a comparative of an adjective, add -est. Unlike in English, for multi-syllable words, you need not use most instead of -est to form the superlative .

Đîn elders âre rîk, đœch mîn elders âre rîkest in đe stadd. = Your parents are rich but my parents are

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richest in the city. Woll is sâft stoff, đœch koton is sâftest. = Wool is soft material, but cotton is softest. Timmeren hûse âre wêk, đœch strœwen hûse âre wêkest = Wooden houses are weak, but straw houses are weakest Đêr pîle âre sêr ackurat, đœch usser gewere âre ackuratest = Their arrows are very accurate but our rifles are the most accurate. Is si generœs? [gene"r2:s] Ja si is generœsest. = Is she generous? Yes, she is the most generous.

Comparing.ThingsTo express in Folksprâk that something is as big, small etc as something else, use so ... als ...

Đîn môder is so grœt als en walfisch. = Your mother is as big as a whale. Đe tanđe av đe hajfisch wâre so scharp als klinge. = The shark’s teeth were as sharp as blades. Đê âre so arm als kirkmûse. = They are as poor as church mice.

To express that something is bigger or smaller etc than something else, use als ... Đe arme av đîn môder âre brêder als êkbœmtwîge. = Your mother’s arms are broader than oak tree branches. Ik is rîker als đi. = I am richer than you. Tô him âre nutte dœdliker als cyanid. = To him, nuts are more deadly than cyanide.

Irregular.AdjectivesFolksprâk has a small number of irregular adjectives that form the comparative and superlative by other methods . The most common of these is gôd (good) . Gôd follows a very similar pattern to English good .

gôd = good, well better = better, more good best = best, most good

nâj = near, close nâr = nearer, closer nâxt = nearest, next, closest

AdverbsIn Folksprâk, adjectives can be freely used as adverbs without modification . That is, they can modify verbs and other adjectives . This is different from English, where adverbs are derived from adjectives by adding the -ly suffix .

Ik lœp haastig. = I am running quickly. Hi gâ langsam. = He is walking slowly. Đê stervde blôdig. = They died bloodily. Đe lœve âre siuk brûn. = The leaves are sickly brown.

Although using good as an adverb in English is considered bad form and well is considered the correct adverb, in Folksprâk gôd can be used as an adverb .

Ik kann singe gôd. = I can sing well. Đu sprek folksprâk gôd. = You speak Folksprâk well.

Intensive.AdverbsThese are used to modify the degree of an adjective to a greater or lesser extent . In Folksprâk, sêr and tô are used in a way similar to English very and too — sêr[se:r] meaning to a significant or extreme degree and tô[tu:] meaning to an excessive or undesirable degree .

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Đe weder was gestern sêr hêt. = The weather was very hot yesterday. Đîn syster ha waxd sêr hœch. = Your sister has grown very tall. Ik schuld kœpe en niu auto đœch ik is tô arm. = I should buy a new car but I am too poor. Đe weder is tô kald. = The weather is too cold.

VerbsThe verb system of Folksprâk is probably the most complex part of Folksprâk grammar . In addition to a relatively high number of rules, there are a number of irregular verbs and strong verbs .

Infinitive verbs end in the -e [-@] suffix .

kysse = to kiss hate = to hate lœpe = to run singe = to sing

Finite verbs inflect for number; they have a plural form and a singular form . The past tense is formed by adding a suffix, other tenses and moods are formed by auxiliary verbs .

Present.TenseWhen the subject of the sentence is singular, finite verbs in Folksprâk are formed with just the stem of the verb and no suffix .

Ik kyss đe baby. = I am kissing the baby. Đu hat schôl. = You hate school. Hi lœp îverig. = He is running zealously. Đe fogel sing schœn. = The bird sings beautifully.

When the subject of the sentence is plural, finite verbs in Folksprâk are formed by adding a -e suffix to the verb stem . That is, the verb form is identical to the infinitive form .

Wi kysse usser môder befor ferlâte wi hir. = We kiss our mother before we leave her. Ji hate arm folk. = You hate poor people. Đê lœpe ût fran đe stadd. = They are running out of the town. Đe manne singe lûd = The men are singing loudly.

Unlike in English, there is no grammatical distinction between the continious and the simple present tense . I am is walking to school and I walk to school are expressed the same way; Ik gâ tô schôl. When it is necessary to make such a distinction, use an adverb .

Nu gâ ik tô schôl. = I am walking to school (now, at the moment). Êlk dag gâ ik tô schôl. = I walk to school (everyday).

Present.ParticipleThe present participle is formed by adding -end [-@nd] to the stem of the verb . It can be used as an adjective or adverb .

Đat lœpend schâpe âre bang. = Those running sheep are afraid. Ik sej seven wirvelend dansers. = I see seven whirling dancers. Đe brennend hûs schîn rœd. = The burning house shines redly. Đe bûers spreke achtend tô đêr hêrr.= The peasants speak respectfully to their lord.

English often uses be plus the present participle as a variation on the present and past tense; note that -end can not be used in the manner of English -ing to form such sentences structures as I was driving to

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my mother’s house . Or the people are dancing in the street . Or the peasants are speaking to their lord . The present participle in Folksprâk is not used in this manner, instead simple tenses should be used .

Past.TenseFor most regular singular verbs, the past tense is formed by adding -d to the verb stem . This is pronounced as [-d] if it follows a voiced consonant . If it follows an unvoiced consonant, it is pronounced [-t] .

stelle = to place. Ik stelld ["stEld] đe kupp up đe desch. = I placed the cup on the table. riskere = to risk . Đu riskerd [rIs"ke:rd] đîn lîv. = You risked your life. beve = to shake. Đe erđ bevd [be:vd]. = The earth shook. smake = to taste. Ik smakd [smA:kt] sôet wîn. = I tasted sweet wine. sôeke = to seek. Đu sôekd [sy:kt] đe hêlig gral. = You sought the Holy Grail. lœpe = to run. Hi lœpd [l2:pt] ŧurj đe strâte/ = He ran through the streets.

For regular singular verbs that end in a dental consonant (d, đ, ŧ or t), the past tense is formed by adding -ed to the verb stem . This is pronounced as [-@d] .

hate = to hate . Ik hated ["hA:t@d] mîn lêrers. = I hated my teachers. slûte = to close. Đu slûted ["slaUt@d] đe fenster. = You closed the window. lêde = to lead. Hi lêded ["leId@d] sîn here tô en grœt seg. = He led his armies to a great victory. wade = to wade. Đe fogel waded ["PA:d@d] in đe pôl. = The bird waded in the pond.

For most regular plural verbs, the past tense is formed by adding -de to the verb stem . This is pronounced as [-d@] if it follows a voiced consonant . If it follows an unvoiced consonant, it is pronounced [-t@] .

stelle = to place. Wi stellde ["stEld@] usser mynte in en flasch. = We put our coins in a bottle. riskere = to risk . Ji riskerde [rIs"ke:rd] jiur gesundhêd. = You risked your health. beve = to shake. Đe berge bevde [be:vd@]. = The mountains shook smake = to taste. Wi smakde [smA:kt@] bitter bere.= We tasted bitter berries. sôeke = to seek. Ji sôekde [sy:kte] đe gehêmniss av stâjl. = You sought the secret of steel. lœpe = to run. Đê lœpde [l2:pte] nakd in đe wald. = They ran naked in the woods.

For regular plural verbs that end in a dental consonant (d, đ, ŧ or t), the past tense is formed by adding -ede to the verb stem . This is pronounced as [-@d@] .

hate = to hate . Wi hatede ["hA:t@d@] đe slejt weder. = We hated the bad weather slûte = to close. Ji slûtede ["slaUt@d@] đe dôr. = You closed the door lêde = to lead. Đê lêdede ["leId@de] đe junglings tô sekerhêd. = They led the children to safety. wade = to wade. Đe fogels wadede ["PA:d@de] in đe sump. = The birds waded in the swamp.

Perfect.TenseThe perfect tense is formed by following the subject of the sentence with the verb have ["hA:v@] and then the past participle of the verb . The past participle of regular verbs is formed in exactly the same way as the past tense of singular verbs — it is spelt the same and pronounced the same . Note that have is an irregular verb (see below) and must be conjugated to match the number of the subject .

stelle = to place. Ik ha stelld ["stEld] = I have placed. riskere = to risk . Đu ha riskerd [rIs"ke:rd] = You have risked. beve = to shake. Đe berge have bevd [be:vd] = The mountains have shaken. smake = to taste. Wi have smakd [smA:kt] = We have tasted. sôeke = to seek. Ji have sôekd [sy:kt] = You have sought. lœpe = to run. Hi ha lœpd [l2:pt] = He has run. hate = to hate . Ik ha hated ["hA:t@d] = I have hated.

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slûte = to close. Đu ha slûted ["slaUt@d] = You have closed. lêde = to lead. Hi ha lêded ["leId@d] = He has led. wade = to wade. Đe fogels have waded ["PA:d@d] = The birds have waded.

The past participle of verbs can also be used as an adjective;

Đe slûted dôr is rœd. = The closed door is red. Hi is en hated mann. = He is a hated man.

Past.Perfect.TenseThis is formed with the past tense of have . Note that the past tense of have is irregular (see below) . Otherwise it works in the same way as the perfect tense .

stelle = to place. Ik hadd stelld ["stEld] = I had placed. wade = to wade. Đe fogels hadde waded ["PA:d@d] = The birds had waded.

Future.TenseThe future tense is formed by following the subject of the sentence with the auxiliary verb schulle ["SUl@] and then the infinitive of the verb . Note that schulle is an irregular verb (see below) and must be conjugated to match the number of the subject .

Ik schall [Sal] stiure = I will drive. Wi schulle erinnere = We will remember. Đu schall fergete = You will forget. Ji schulle lige = You will lie. Si schall segge = She will say. Đê schulle seje = They will see.

Imperative.MoodThe imperative is used for giving orders or requests . The imperative is formed by using just the stem of the verb and pronouns .

Stiur langsam! = Drive slowly! Gev mi đîn klêđe. = Give me your clothes. Wes nejt so dumm! = Don’t be so stupid! Fatt en geback. = Take a cake. Drink đîn milk. = Drink your milk. Stell ût jiur passporte. = Display your passports.

Passive.VoicePassive sentences are ones that make the object of the sentence into the subject . Examples of passive sentences in English would be “the milk was drunk by the cat” instead of “the cat drank the milk.” Passive sentences are most often used when the doer of a deed is not known or to deflect blame away from the perpetrator of a misdeed . In Folksprâk, like English, a passive sentence is created with the verb wese followed by the past participle of the verb .

Mîn burs was stolen. = My wallet was stolen. Đêr hûs is brekd. = Their house is being destroyed. Đîn auto schall wese wegdragen. = Your car will be towed away.

If it is necessary to put the perpetrator of the act, it is added after the preposition av as an indirect object of the sentence .

Mîn burs was stolen av en ŧiuv. = My wallet was stolen by a thief.

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Đêr hûs is brekd av đe wirvelwind. = Their house is being destroyed by the tornado. Đîn auto schall wese wegsleppd av en slepplastwagen. = Your car will be towed away by a tow truck.

Subjunctive.MoodTo form conditional or tentative statements, move the verb tense one step into the past and use an appropriate conjunction or adverb (such as infall) . So future tense becomes present tense, present tense becomes past tense, past tense becomes perfect tense, perfect tense becomes past perfect tense .

Infall werk mîn auto morgen, fare wi mid him tô arbêd. = If my car is working tommorow, we will travel with it to work.

Infall was ik en rîk man, levd ik in en grœt hûs mind manig beŧiuners. = If I were a rich man, I would live in big house with many servants.

Infall ha ik forûtsejen đe problem mid mîn auto, ginge wi nejt hêm nu. = If I had forseen the problem with my car, we would not be walking home now. Auxiliary.Verbs

These verbs are used to change the mood another verb . They follow the subject of the sentence and are followed by the infinitive verb that they are modifying . Most of these auxiliary verbs are irregular (see below) and have a different singular and plural form .

schulle ["SUl@] = to in the future do, shall, will. Đu schall fliuge tô Singapor. = You will fly to Singapore. Wi schulle swimme in đe pôl. = We shall swim in the pond.

kunne ["kUn@] = to be able to, to know how to, can . Ik kann [kan] spreke folksprâk. = I can speak Folksprâk. Hunde kunne ete bêne. = Dogs are able to eat bones.

wolle ["POl@] = to want to, to wish to. Ik will lerne folksprâk. = I want to learn Folksprâk. Đê wolle hœre musik. = They want to hear music.

môte ["mu:t@] = to be compelled to, to need to, to have to, must. Ik môt drinke water. = I must drink water. Đê môte sûpe bir. = They need to guzzle beer.

schulde ["SUld@]= to be supposed to do, to be advised to, to ought to, should. Đu schuld nejt rœke. = You should not smoke. Đê schulde ete mêr brœd. = They should eat more bread.

mœge ["m2:g@] = to be possible to do, to be permitted to do. Ik mag stiure autobusse. = I am allowed to drive buses. Junglings mœge nejt sûpe wîn. = Children are not permitted to guzzle wine.

Unlike most English auxiliary verbs, the Folksprâk versions can be used in the past, perfect and future tense like other verbs . They can be freely combined with other auxiliary verbs to create complex moods and tenses .

Ik ha kund lœpe haastig. = I have been able to run quickly. Wi schulde wolle drinke bir. = We should want to drink beer. Đu schall schulde kunne spreke folksprâk. = You will be advised to know how to speak Folksprâk.

Irregular.VerbsMany verbs, especially some of the most important and commonly used verbs in Folksprâk are

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irregular . They don’t exactly follow the rules of past and present tense given above . Luckily they are few in number and there is a good chance that there will be equivalent verbs in your own Germanic language that are similarly irregular . Some of the irregular ones are listed below .

Table.of.Folksprâk.Irregular.VerbsInfinitive Present

SingularPresent Plural

Past Singular

Past Plural Past Participle

Translation

wese ["Pe:s@] is [Is] âre ["{:r@] was [Pas] wâre ["P{:r@] wesd [Pe:st] to be

have["hA:v@] ha[hA:] have["hA:v@] hadd [had] hadde ["had@] havd [hA:vd] to havekunne ["kUn@]

kann [kan] kunne [kUn@]

kund [kUnd] kunde ["kUnd@]

kund [kUnd] to a able to, to know how to

schulle ["SUl@]

schall [Sal] schulle ["SUl@]

schuld [SUld] schulde ["SUld@]

schuld* [SUld]

to do in the future

wolle [POl@] will [PIl] wolle ["PIl@] wold [POld] wolde ["POld@] wold [POld] to want towitte ["PIt@] wêt [PeIt] witte ["PIt@] wist [PIst] wiste ["PIst@] witted

["PIt@d]to know or be aware of a situation

môte ["mu:t@]

môt [mu:t] môte ["mu:t@]

môst [mu:st] môste ["mu:st@]

môted ["mu:t@d]

to need to, to have to

mœge ["m2:g@]

mag [mA:g] mœge ["m2:g@]

mœcht [m2:Ct]

mœchte ["m2:Ct@]

mœcht [m2:Ct]

to be allowed to, to be possible to

schulde** ["SUld@]



schuld [SUld] to be advised to

gâe ["g{:@] gâ [g{:] gâe ["g{:@] ging [gIN] ginge ["gIN@] gan [gA:n] to go, to walk

stâe ["st{:@] stâ [st{:] stâe ["st{:@] stond ["stOnd]

stonde ["stOnd@]

standen ["standen]

to stand

wese [Pe:s@] = to be . Ik will wese rîk = I want to be rich. Ik is rîk = I am rich. Đê âre arm = They are poor. Đu was gesund = You were healthy. Wi wâre siuk = We were sick Đê have wesd alltîd arm = They have always been poor.

have ["hA:v@] = to have Hi schuld have en auto. = He should have a car. Hi ha twê œge. = He has two eyes. Ji have ŧri autos. = You have three cars. Ik hadd nên auto. = I had no car. Sîn hunde hadde en ungeluck. = His dogs had an accident. Đê have havd en ungeluck. = They have had an accident.

kunne ["kUn@] = to be able to, to know how to Ji schulde kunne swimme. = You should be able to swim. Đu kann nejt fliuge. = You can not fly. Wi kunne swimme. = We can swim.

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Si kund spreke engelisch. = She could (was able to) speak English. Ji kunde singe gôd. = You could (were able to) sing well. Đê have kund swimme. = They have been able to swim.

wolle [POl@] = to want to, to wish to . Hi schuld wolle ete tortes. = He should want to eat cakes. Hi will lerne folksprâk. = He wants to learn Folksprâk. Wolle ji drinke mîn wîn? = Do you want to drink my wine? Ik wold nejt besôeke đîn môder gestern. = I didn’t want to visit your mother yesterday. Đê wold dœde đêr elders. = They wanted to kill their parents. Ik ha wold besitte en hûs. = I have wanted to own a house.

môte ["mu:t@] = to be compelled to, to need to, must. Ik schuld nejt môte drinke mêr bir. = I should not need to drink more beer. Mîn katt môt ete flêsch. = My cat needs to eat meat. Môte ji kysse mîn grœtmôder so îverig? = Must you kiss my grandmother so enthusiastically?. Ik môst nejt besôeke đîn môder. = I didn’t need to visit your mother. Đêr elders môste wese friuđig. = Their parents needed to be happy. Ik ha môted dœde sîn hunde. = I have needed to kill his dogs.

schulle ["SUl@] = to in the future do, shall, will. Ik kann schulle swimme over đe strœm. = I can in the future swim across the river. Đu schall fliuge tô Singapor. = You will fly to Singapore. Wi schulle swimme in đe pôl. = We shall swim in the pond. Si schuld lerne nâxt jâr engelisch. = She would next year learn English. Wi schulde singe đe gesang gôd after manig singend lektione. = We would sing the song well after many singing lessons.

*The past participle of schulle is in practise never used and would be impossible to translate into English if it ever were .

schulde ["SUld@] = to be supposed to do, to be advised to, to ought to, should. **This verb is in fact the past tense of schulle used in a subjunctive mood and can possibly cause confusion since it has two meanings . Care needs to be taken to make sure the two are kept distinct, by, for example, using adverbs of time in addition to schuld when it is being used as the past tense of schulle . Ik schuld witte sîn nam. = I should know his name. Hi schuld swimme haastiger. = He ought to swim faster. Schulde wi besôeke đîn siuk grœtmôder? = Should we visit your sick grandmother? Ik schuld nejt besôeke đîn môder gestern. = I was not supposed to visit your mother yesterday . Đê schulde rêse lat’st jâr tô đe ald land av đêr elders .= There were meant to travel to their parents old country last year.Ik ha schuld behandele đe begraving av đîn elders. = I have been supposed to attend to your parents funeral.

mœge ["m2:g@] = to be possible to do, to be permitted to do, may. Ik schuld nejt mœge drinke bir. = I should not be allowed to drink beer. Mîn katt mag ete fisch. = My cat is allowed to eat fish. Ji mœge kysse mîn grœtmôder. = You may kiss my grandmother. Ik mœcht nejt rœke bî đe hûs av đîn môder. = I was not allowed to smoke at your mother’s house. Đe elders mœchte inkomme đe land av đêr junglings. = The parents were allowed to enter their children’s country. Ik ha mœcht migrere tô Irland. = I have been allowed to migrate to Ireland.

witte ["PIt@] = to know of a situation. Ik will witte sîn nam. = I want to know his name.

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Hi wêt đat have fische nên lunge. = He knows that fish have no lungs. Witte ji đat is mîn grœtmôder dœd? = Do you know that my grandmother is dead? Ik wist nejt đat besôeke đîn môder morgen. = I didn’t know that your mother was visiting tomorrow. Đê wiste đat wâre đêr elders dœd. = They knew that their parents were dead.Ik ha witted đat wâre đêr elders dœd. = I have known that their parents were dead.

gâe ["g{:@] = to go, to walk. Ik will gâe tô đe krôg.= I want to go to the pub. Hi gâ forŧ an đe strœmkust. = He is walking along the river bank. Gâe ji tô đe hûs av jiur grœtmôder? = Are you walking to your grandmother’s house? Ik ging tô đe hûs av đîn elders gestern. = I walked yesterday to your parents’ house. Đe junglings ginge tô đe begraving av đêr grœtelders. = The children went to their grandparents funeral.Ik ha gan hêm fran đe krôg. = I have gone home from the pub.

stâe ["st{:@] = to stand, to be in a place. Si schall stâe befor en tribunal. = She will stand in front of a court. Ik stâ ûten đe bôkbotek. = I am standing outside a bookstore. Wâr stâe ji? = Where are you standing? Đe ald appelbœm stond allên in đe acker. = The old apple tree stood alone in the field. Wi stonde up đe hœchtpunkt av đe berg. = We stood on the summit of the mountain.Ett ha stond dâr sîđ manig jâre. = It has stood there for many years.

Strong.Verbs .Folksprâk has a number of strong verbs (approximately 40) that form the past and perfect tense by changing the vowel sound of the verb stem instead of the regular method of adding a suffix . This process of vowel change is know as ablaut . In addition to ablaut, the past participles of strong verbs take an -en [-@n] suffix rather than -d or -ed . Strong verbs are divided into seven classes . Each class has the same or similar vowel in the infinitive form and undergoes the same ablaut changes in the past tense and past participle . Each strong verb needs to be learnt . If a verb is strong in Folksprâk there will be a very good chance that your own Germanic language will have a counterpart that is likewise strong and whose vowels change in a very similar way to the Folksprâk one . Rather than learning the individual ablaut for each verb, I recommend you first learn the strong verb classes and the ablaut for each class . The strong verb classes are as follows:

Table.of.Folksprâk.Strong.Verbs .Infinitive Past Perfect Meaning Class I

*î* *ê* *i**enbîte bêt- bitten to bite drîve drêv- drieven to drive, to incite rîde rêd- ridden to ride schîne schên- schienen to shine smîte smêt- smitten to throw Class II

*iu* *œ* *o*enbiude bœd- boden to offer fliuge flœg- flogen to fly friuse frœs- frosen to freeze schiute schœt- schoten to shoot Class III

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Infinitive Past Perfect Meaning *i**e *a** *u**enbinde band- bunden to bind drinke drank- drunken to drinkfinde fand- funden to find singe sang- sungen to sing springe sprang- sprungen to jump Class IV

*e*e or *o*e *a* *o*enkomme kam- komen to come stecke stak- stoken to stab stele stal- stolen to steal Class V

*e*e or *i*e *a* *e*enbidde bad- beden to pray ete at- eten to eat geve gav- geven to give lige lag- legen to lie seje saj- sejen to see sitte sat- seten to sit Class VI

*a*e *ô* *a*endrage drôg- dragen to pull slaje slôj- slajen to hit Class VII

*a**e or *â* *iu* *a*enfalle fiul- fallen to fall halde hiuld- halden to hold lâte liut- laten to allow , to let

Note that the past tense of strong verbs conjugate for number . Singular past tense is the simple stem of the strong verb with the vowel change . Plural past tense is the past stem of the strong verb plus a -e suffix .

Ik drîv, ik drêv, ik ha drieven. = I drive, I drove, I have driven. Đê drîve, đê drêve, đê have drieven. = They drive, they drove, they have driven. Hi sing, hi sang, hi ha sungen. = He sings, he sang, he has sung. Wi singe, wi sange, wi have sungen. = We sing, we sang, we have sung. Đu sej, đu saj, đu ha sejen. = You see, you saw, you have seen. Ji seje, ji saje, ji have sejen. = You see, you saw, you have seen.

PrepositionsThese little words are used in a similar way as to in English . They come before the noun or pronoun they modify and before any articles, determiners or adjectives . Many are similar in use to their English cognates but there are a few notable exceptions which might trap the unwary English speaker . In particular up which does not mean up but more like English on or upon .

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Đe kupp is up đe desch = The cup is on the table. Đîn hôd is up đîn hœved = Your hat is on your head. Ik lig up đe bedd = I am lying on the bed. Ji môte arbêde up frîdag = You must work on Friday.

An sometimes can be used like English on, but means not on top of something but stuck to or against the side of something . (Like picture on a wall, or a city on a river)

Đe bilđ is an đe mûr = The picture is on the wall. London lig an đe Thames = London lies on the Thames. Mîn hotel was an đe strand = My Hotel was right on the beach. Ik slôj an đe dôr = I banged against the door.

after["aft@r] = after, behind an[an] = on, against, at av1[av] = of, belonging to av2[av] = off befor[b@"fo:r] = before, in front of bî[baI] = by, beside for[fOr] = for forŧ[fOrt] = forth, onwards, forward, along fran[fran] = from hinden ["hInd@n]= behind in[In] = in, inside mid[mId] = with, accompanied by nâj[naI] = near, next to neđen["ne:d@n] = down, downwards om[Om] = around, about, regarding oven["o:v@n] = up, upwards over["o:v@r] = over, across, above sîđ[saId] = since, for. tô[tu:] = to tôrygg[tu:"rYg] = behind, backwards twischen["tPIS@n] = between, among ŧurj["tUrI] = through, by way of, via unden["Und@n] = down, downwards under["Und@r] = under, beneath, below up[Up] = on, upon, on top of ût[aUt] = out, out of, from out of ûten["aUt@n] = without, except, outside

ConjunctionsThese are the small word that connect the clauses of complex sentences together .

on’, ond [@n], [On], [@nd], [Ond] = and . Only when ond comes before a word starting with a vowel is the d pronounced or written . Otherwise it is replaced by an apostrophe . It is normally pronounced unstressed so the vowel becomes [@] Ik will ete fisch on’ frite. = I want to eat fish and chips . Hi will ete persche ond appels. = He wants to eat peaches and apples . Ik saj ên bischop on’ fîv presters. = I saw one bishop and five priests . Wi saje twê monke ond acht nonne. = We saw two monks and eight nuns .

đœch [d2:C] = but, though

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Ik liuv mîn frû đœch hirer elders hate mi. = I love my wife but her parents hate me. Hi sûp bir đœch ett drîv hin siuk = He drinks beer but it makes him sick.

ođer ["o:d@r] = or

infall ["infal] = if, in the event of . Infall besôeke đîn elders, gâ ik tô đe krôg. = If your parents visit, I will go to the pub.

ov [Ov] = whether, if. Only used if the same manner as English if, in situations where if could be replaced with whether . In most situations if should be translated as infall . Ik will witte ov is đîn auto grôen ođer rœd. = I want to know whether your car is green or red.

forđat [fOrdat] = because Hi was drœrig forđat was hi tô ŧick. = He was unhappy because he was too fat.

đat [dat] = that. Used to introduce a subordinate clause in exactly the same way English that can be used . Ik wêt đat is đîn auto grôen. = I know that your car is green.

œk [2:k] = also, too. Not used to translate too as in excessively . Đîn auto is grôen. Mîn is œk grôen. = Your car is green. Mine is also green. Đu is rîk đœch ik is rîk œk. = You are rich, but I am rich too.

Syntax and Word OrderThe.V2.RuleThe default word order in Folksprâk is subject–verb–object (SVO) . The subject of the sentence must be immediately next to the verb and not have any adverbs between it . But word order is also governed by the rule that the verb comes second (the V2 rule) . The V2 rule means the first element of the sentence may be the subject, and indirect object or an adverb but the verb must follow it .

Mîn doktor visiterd mi gestern. = My doctor examined me yesterday. In this instance the verb visiterd is second following mîn doktor, the subject of the sentence .

Gestern visiterd mîn doktor mi. = My doctor examined me yesterday. In this case visiterd is second following gestern, an adverb for time .

A sentence may begin with an indirect object, provided that the second element of the sentence is the finite verb

Đe frû av đe mer smêt en swerd tô Arthur. = The lady of the lake threw a sword to Arthur. Tô Arthur smêt đe frû av đe mer en swerd. = The lady of the lake threw to Arthur a sword. In the second example the sentence starts with with the indirect object, marked as such by the preposition tô . It is more permissable to start a sentence with an indirect object since are preceded by a preposition and are thus less likely to be mistaken for the subject of the sentence .

Putting the direct object of the sentence first should be avoided as it often will be impossible to tell which is the subject and which is the object of the sentence .

Đe mann et đe fisch = The man is eating the fish. *Đe fisch et đe mann = *The man is eating the fish. This sentence should be avoided since it looks exactly like the fish is eating the man .

Inversion of subject and direct object is more permissible in cases where the subject and object are pronouns, since these modify for case .

Hi et đêm= He is eating them.

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Đêm et hi = He is eating them. This would be permissible, because from the case forms of the pronouns, it is clear who is eating whom . But such an arrangement is probably best left for instances where poetic license are needed .

QuestionsA sentence is converted from a statement into a question by reversing the order of the subject and verb .

Ik at en appel. = I ate an apple. At ik en appel? = Did I eat an apple?

Hi hêt Thomas. = He is called Thomas. Hêt hi Thomas? = Is he called Thomas?

Đu will gâe tô đe krôg. = You want to go to the pub. Will đu gâe tô đe krôg? = Do you want to go to the pub?

A statement can also be made a question, simply by a change in the speaker’s tone of voice . Or in writing by ending the statement in a question mark .

Hi hêt Thomas? = He’s called Thomas? Đu will gâe tô đe krôg? = You want to go to the pub?

Position.of.Infinitives.and.ParticiplesInfinitive verbs and participles normally follow immediately after the finite verb .

Hi will spreke tô mi = He wants to speak with me. Ik ha sprekd tô hin = I have spoken to him. Đe auto av mîn elders was stolen ût fran đêr garage = My parents car was stolen from their garage.

In cases of inversion due to the V2 rule, they follow immediately after the subject of the sentence .

Morgen schall ik besôeke mîn elders. = Tomorrow I will visit my parents. Gestern was ik visiterd fran mîn doktor. = Yesterday I was examined by my doctor. Langsam ha ik stiurd đe auto ŧurj đe strâte av đe stadd. = I have driven the car slowly through the streets of town.

Position.of.AdverbsAdverbs of manner follow immediately after the verb they modify . Other adverbs can be freely positioned in the sentence, provided they don’t break the V2 rule .

Ik kann seker swimme. = I can surely swim. Ik kann swimme seker. = I can swim safely. Hi swimm nejt in đe pôl. = He is not swimming in the pond.

Word.Order.of.Subordinate.ClausesSubordinate clauses follow the V2 rule, in that the primary clause of the sentence is regarded as the first element of the subordinate clause . Therefore the verb comes first in the subordinate clause, followed by the subject, a process known as inversion .

Ik gâ tô đe krôg infall besôeke đîn elders. = I’m going to the pub if your parents visit. Ik will witte ov is đîn auto grôen ođer rœd. = I want to know whether your car is green or red. Hi was drœrig forđat was hi tô ŧick. = He was unhappy because he was too fat.

The conjunctions ond/on’, ođer and đœch do not follow the inversion rule for subordinate clauses . When these conjunctions are used, the subordinate clause follows the same rules as a primary clause .

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Ik môt drinke water ođer ik schall sterve ŧyrstig = I must drink water or I will die of thirst. Ik liuv mîn frû đœch hirer elders hate mi = I love my wife but her parents hate me. Si rêd en brûn ross on’ si sang en friuđig liuđ = She rode a brown horse and she sang a happy song.

TimeTelling.the.TimeThe Folksprâk word for o’clock is ôr[u:r] . The time of day is normal preceed by the preposition om . The 24 hour clock is the preferred format . In fact Folksprâk has no exact equivalent to English a.m. and p.m.

Om wat ôr is ett? = What’s the time? Ett is om elv ôr. = It’s eleven o’clock (in the morning). Ett is om fiurtejn ôr. = It’s two o’clock (in the afternoon). Ett is om twentig-ŧri ôr. = It’s 11pm.

Times that are not exactly on the hour, are expressed by following the ôr by the number of minutes since the beginning of the hour .

Ett is om twentig-ŧri ôr fîvtig-seven. = It’s 11:57pm. Ett is om acht ôr fîvtejn. = It’s quarter past eight in the morning.

Adverbs.of.Timenêmâl = never êns = once, one time selden = seldom, rarely ênigtîd = sometimes oft = often, frequently êmâl = ever, at any time alltîd = always êđoch still, yet allrêd = already niulik = recently upniu = again

Unlike in English, in Folksprâk, the names of months, days of the week and seasons need not be capitalised .

Days.of.the.Weeksonndag["sOn%dA:g] = Sunday mândag["m{:n%dA:g] = Monday tiusdag["tIUs%dA:g] = Tuesday wônsdag["Pu:ns%dA:g] = Wednesday ŧonnersdag["tOn@rs%dA:g] = Thursday frîdag["fraI%dA:g] = Friday saterdag["sA:t@r%dA:g] = Saturday

Monthsjanuâr[janu"{:r] =January februâr[febru"{:r] = February marc[marts] = March april[a"pri:l] = April mai[maI] = May juni["ju:ni] = June

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juli["ju:li] = July august[aU"gUst] = August september[sEp"tEmb@r] = September oktober[Ok"to:b@r] = October november[no"vEmb@r] = November december[de"tsEmb@r] = December

Seasons.of.the.Yearêrjâr["e:rj{:r] = Springsommer["sOm@r] = Summerhervest["hErv@st] = Autumn/Fall. This is the same as the Folksprâk word for harvest . When it is

necessary to distinguish between Autumn and harvest, use hervestjârtîd: Wi hadde en gôd hervest up đies hervestjârtîd. = We had a good harvest this Autumn.

winter["PInt@r] = Winter

NumbersWriting.NumbersWhen using Folksprâk in a localised situation, it may be appropriate and more convenient to use the number conventions of the country in question . But when using Folksprâk for international communication, a more international system, which carries less chance of confusion and incompatibility is recommended . The following is system is calculated to be as internationally compatible as possible .

In Folksprâk the decimal separator can be either a point or a comma (punkt or komma) . Therefore �.�� = �,��. Long multi-digit numbers may be grouped into groups of three digits much like in English . But the only group separator that is permitted it a space . Therefore � 0�� = �0�� . Commas or points may not be used a group separator: �,�� ≠ � �� .

Lists or sequences of numbers should be separated by a semi-colon (;) . So zero, one, one, two, three, five, eight, thirteen, twenty-one should be typed as 0; �; �; �; �; �; �; ��; �� .

Small non-integer numbers (i .e . between -1 and +1) are always represented with a preceding zero . So 3/4 × 1 is represented as 0,�� or 0.�� but never as *.�� .

Negative numbers have the negative sign in front of the number . Therefore negative three point five is represented as -�,� or -�.� but never as *�.�−

Currency symbols come before the numerals of the price they are denoting . Thus one euro thirty five cents is written as €�,�� or €�.�� and not *�,��€ . Symbols for sub-units of currency, such as cents or pence are not normally written unless the price is less than one of the major unit . In these cases, the sub-unit is written after the numeral of the price in question . So ninety-nine pence may be written as ��p . It could also safely be written as £0,�� or £0.��. One dollar and two cents would be written as $�,0� or $�.0� but not *$�.0�¢

Cardinal.NumbersNumbers work in a very similar way to English numbers . For numbers 21–99, they follow the modern English word order for example ŧritig-fiur (34) and not *fiur-on’-ŧritig.

zero["ze:ro] = 0 ên[eIn] = 1

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twê[tPeI] or two [tPo:] = 2 ŧri[tri:] = 3 fiur[fIUr] = 4 fîv[faIv] = 5 sex[sEks] = 6 seven["se:v@n] = 7 acht[axt] = 8 niun[nIUn] = 9 tejn[teIn] = 10 elv[Elv] = 11 twelv[tPElv] = 12 ŧritejn["tri:%teIn] = 13 fiurtejn["fIUr%teIn] = 14 fîvtejn["faIv%teIn = 15 sextejn["sEks%teIn = 16 seventejn["se:v@n%teIn] = 17 achttejn["axt%teIn] = 18 niuntejn["nIUn%teIn] =19 twentig["tPEntIg] = 20 twentig-ên[%tPEntIg"eIn]= = 21 ŧritig["tri:tIg] = 30 fiurtig["fIUrtIg] = 40 fîvtig["faIvtIg] = 50 sextig["sEkstIg] = 60 seventig["se:v@ntIg] = 70 achttig["axtIg] = 80 niuntig["nIUntIg] =90 hunderd["hUnd@rd] = 100 hunderd-ên[%hUnd@rd"eIn]= = 101 hunderd-twentig-ên[%hUnd@rd%tPEntIg"eIn]= = 121 twê-hunderd["tPeI%hUnd@rd] = 200 niun-hunderd-niuntig-niun["nIun%hUnd@rd%nIUntIg"nIUn] = 999 ŧûsend["taUs@nd] = 1000 million[mIl"jo:n] = 1 000 000 (106) milliard[mIl"jard] = 1 000 000 000 (109) billion[bIl"jo:n] = 1 000 000 000 000 (1012) trillion[tril"jo:n] = 1015

Ordinal.NumbersMost ordinal numbers are formed by taking the cardinal number and adding the -đe suffix . This is pronounced as either [-d@] or [-t@] depending on whether the final consonant in the cardinal number is voiced or unvoiced . The exception to this is the ordinal number for first and any other ordinal numbers ending with a final numeral of one (excepting 11), such as twenty-first . Instead of being *ênđe, it is êrst[e:rst] or fyrst[fYrst] .

êrst[e:rst] = first fyrst[fYrst] = first twêđe["tPe:d@] = second ŧriđe["tri:d@] = third fiurde["fIurd@] = fourth fîvđe["faIvd@] = fifth sexđe["sEkst@] = sixth

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sevenđe["se:v@nd@] = seventh achtđe["axt@] = eighth niunđe["nIund@] = ninth tejnđe["teInd@] = tenth twentig-êrst["%tPEntIg"e:rst] = twenty-first

Ik is đe ŧriđe jungling av mîn môder. = I am my mother’s third child. Morgen is sîn twentig-êrst geburddag = Tomorrow is his 21st birthday.

Ordinals can be written in abbreviated form with the cardinal number followed by a superscript e: -e

�e = êrst = fyrst = 1st �e = twêđe = 2nd

�e = ŧriđe = 3rd �e = twêđe = 4th ��e = achttig-twêđe = 82nd

Gestern was đe ��e geburddag av mîn grœtfader. = Yesterday was my grandfather’s 82nd birthday.

Fractional.NumbersMost fractions are formed by taking the ordinal number and adding the -đel suffix . This is pronounced as either [-d@l] or [-t@l] depending on whether the final consonant in the cardinal number is voiced or unvoiced . Fractional numbers can be used as adjectives, adverbs or as nouns in their own right . The exception to this is the fractional number for 1/2, which is a helft as noun and halv as an adjective and

1/1 which is not normally considered a fractional number . Fractional numbers which end in the numeral 1 (excepting 11) may be denoted using êrstđel or fyrstđel as the final part of the number .

halv[halv] = half, semi-, hemi- 1/2 helft[hElft] = one half; 1/2 ŧriđel["tri:d@l] = third; 1/3 fiurđel["fIurd@l] = one fourth/quarter; 1/4 fîvđel["faIvd@l] = one fifth; 1/5 sexđel["sEkst@l] = one sixth; 1/6 sevenđel["se:v@nd@l] = one seventh; 1/7 achtđel["axt@l] = one eighth; 1/8 niunđe["nIund@l] = one ninth; 1/9 tejnđel["teInd@l] = one tenth; 1/10 twentig-êrstđel["%tPEntIg"e:rst@l] = one twenty-first; 1/21

Đîn appel sej ût kostlik. Gev mi helft. = Your apple looks delicious. Give me half. Ik gav hir en halv appel. = I gave her half an apple. Twê is en achtđel av sextejn = Two is one eighth of sixteen. Ik besitt en fiurđel dêl av đe business = I own a quarter share of the business.

Prefixes and SuffixesFolksprâk has a large number of prefixes and especially suffixes which can be used to change words from one part of speech to another or to modify their meaning . Some of these prefixes have no real independent meaning and are not able to be productively added to existing words, these are ge-, fer-, be- . Many other prefixes are words in their own right and can be used as prepositions, nouns, adjectives etc . Listed here are the productive suffixes and prefixes which are not words in their own right and which may be used to modify existing words for word creation .

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Prefixesmis-[mIs-] Modifying nouns and verbs, meaning bad or undesirable . Equivalent to English mis- misbrûke = to misuse, violate or abuse. misdâd = misdeed or crime

un-[Un-] Modifying adjectives and nouns, meaning the opposite of the root . Mostly equivalent to English un- unlêrd = unlearned, ignorant. ungelœver = unbeliever, infidel.

ont-[Ont-] Modifying verbs to give a meaning of reversing or undoing the original process . Often equivalent to English un- . ontŧecke = to uncover or discover. ontschulde to excuse, to pardon.

Suffixes.Creating.Adjectives-ig[-Ig] Full of a particular noun . Mostly equivalent to English -y but only used in this manner . In English, for example piggy could mean having the characteristics of a pig . But Folksprâk swînig would have to mean literally full of pigs . Piggy would be better translated as swînlik. stênig = stony; full of stones; Đies sol is stênig. = This soil is stony. lœvig = leafy, full of leaves. Đe park ha manig lœvig bœme. = The park has many leafy trees.

-ful[-fUl] Full of a particular noun . Used in a similar way to -ig . hopful = hopeful, promising.

-sam[-sam] Having a tendency to be the particular adjective, or do a particular verb . Often equivalent to English -some. behelpsam = helpful. biugsam = flexible, pliant, supple. gewaldsam = violent.

-en[-@n] Constructed from a particular material noun . Equivalent to English -en, (as in golden, wooden, woollen, earthen) but used in many more places, since most Folksprâk nouns may not be freely used as adjectives without an explicit converting suffix . stênen = stone. Ik klimm đe stênen treppe. = I am climbing the stone steps. Wi wone in en timmeren hûs = We live in a wood(en) house. Sîn ring is golden. = His ring is golden.

-lœs[-l2:s] Having none or a lack of a particular noun . Equivalent to English -less. inhaldslœs = empty . Mîn forrâdkiste wâre alltîd inhaldslœs. = My cupboards were always empty . lîvlœs lifeless, dull. Đe krôg was lîvlœs up en mândagmorgen = The pub was lifeless on a Monday morning.

-lik[-lIk] Having similar properties or characteristics to a particular noun . Equivalent to English -like and sometimes -ly . landlik = rural, rustic; Ji schulde stiure jiur auto langsam up landlik strâte. = You should drive your car slowly on country roads. Swînlik = piggy, piglike, porcine. Đu et đîn fôd swînlik! = You eat your food like a pig! (piggily)

-isch[-IS] Belonging to the same grouping as a particular group . Similar in usage to -lik, but is used more for nationalities and countries . Equivalent to English -ish. Also appears in a myriad of Romance borrowings of adjectives, replacing -ic and -ical.

-bar[-bar] Able to be acted upon easily by a particular verb . Equivalent to English -able. formbar = workable, plastic, malleable. Hêt îsern is formbar = Hot iron is malleable.

-ed, -d[-@d, -d] The past participle of regular verbs . See the section on verbs .

-end[-@nd] The present participle of a verb . See the section on verbs .

Suffixes.Creating.Nouns-hêd[-heId] The condition of being a particular adjective or noun . Often equivalent to English -hood.

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smiurighêd = dirt, filth, smut. behaglikhêd = comfort, cosiness, snugness

-nis[-nIs] The condition of being a particular adjective or noun . Often equivalent to English -ness. gefangnis = captivity, detention, prison. gehêmnis = secrecy, stealth

-dôm[-dUm] The condition of being a particular adjective or noun . Often equivalent to English -dom.

-schap[-Sap] The group having a particular characteristic or being a particular adjective . Often equivalent to English -ship. wittenschap = science, knowledge, learning. êgenschap = quality, aspect, function, characteristic.

-er[-@r] One who does or is the agent of a particular verb . Equivalent to English -er. swimmer = swimmer, one who swimmers. danser = dancer, one who dances.

-ing[-IN] The process or action of doing a particular verb . Often equivalent to English -ing. kreering = creation. overleving = survival.

-đ[-d] The condition of being a particular adjective . Not normally productive, this suffix has several fossilised forms which has assimilated to the final consonant of the root adjective . Often equivalent to English -th in breadth or length or -t in English height. hœcht = height dugeđ = virtue. jugeđ = youth, boy.

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© David Parke 2006

Bibliography/LinksThe following sources were used in the my research for Folksprâk:

New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on CD-ROM Version 1 .04, 1997

Concise Oxford Dictionary, New Edition 1982

Online Etymology Dictionary: http://www .etymonline .com/

Interglot .com — Your free fast and simple translation assistant: http://www .interglot .com/

Websters Online Dictionary — The Rosetta Edition: http://www .websters-online-dictionary .org/

Van Dale Taalweb — woordenboeken op papier, cd-rom, internet en intranet: http://www .vandale .nl/

The Swedish Schoolnet: Lexin — Swedish–English dictionary: http://www-lexikon .nada .kth .se/skolverket/swe-eng .shtml

Svensk etymologisk ordbok: http://runeberg .org/svetym/

Svenska Akademiens ordbok — SAOB: http://g3 .spraakdata .gu .se/saob/

LEO Deutsch–Englisches Wörterbuch: http://dict .leo .org/

Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm: http://germazope .uni-trier .de/Projects/WBB/woerterbuecher/dwb/wbgui?lemid=GA00001

plattmaster’s Home Page — Plattdeutsch satt . http://www .plattmaster .de/

Yiddish Dictionary Online בעװ ןֿפַא ךוברעטרעװ שידִיי: http://www .yiddishdictionaryonline .com/

Verbix — conjugate verbs in 100+ languages: http://www .verbix .com/webverbix/index .asp

SAMPA computer readable phonetic alphabet: http://www .phon .ucl .ac .uk/home/sampa/index .html

West Germanic strong verb — Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en .wikipedia .org/wiki/West_Germanic_Strong_Verb

Union Mundial Pro Interlingua: http://www .interlingua .com/

Slavic Language, simplified universal international simplified planned language — SLOVIO: http://www .slovio .com/

http://www.etymonline.com/

http://www.interglot.com/

http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/

http://www.vandale.nl/

http://runeberg.org/svetym/

http://g3.spraakdata.gu.se/saob/

http://dict.leo.org/

http://germazope.uni-trier.de/Projects/WBB/woerterbuecher/dwb/wbgui?lemid=GA00001



http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/index.asp

http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/sampa/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germanic_Strong_Verb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germanic_Strong_Verb

http://www.interlingua.com/

http://www.slovio.com/

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Documents

Đe Koncis Folksprâkgrammatik · 2013. 2. 11. · Đe Koncis Folksprâkgrammatik The Concise Folksprâk Grammar Hi is en gôd singer. = He is a good singer. Si stiur đe taxi. =